In Otelo Burning, three Lamontville teens discover a love and passion for surfing. However, the lead character, Otelo, is forced to choose between surfing success or justice.
Shot in Durban, South Africa and set during the time of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, a recurring theme in the film is freedom. The lead characters are constantly talking about what freedom feels like and what it means to them. As person who has inherited freedom, Otelo Burning led me to also question what freedom means to me. And what came to mind is a saying my father says constantly, “Freedom isn’t free.” This is made ever so apparent in Otelo Burning.